An invitation to a musical and sensory experience: come and be re-energised by a different way of sensing the natural world. You will enter a soundscape of birdsong and live music, treasuring aromas, textures and vistas from the world around us.

Taiao is the Te Reo word for the world of nature. This is not a concert in the traditional format. Presenting a wonderfully relaxing, meditative hour-long event with something for every sense: music, birdsong, photographs of nature, natural objects to handle, essential oils from pine trees infused into stone. Enjoy meeting the world of nature at a slower pace, through the ears of Mark Wilson.

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Mark says "Taiao invites all of us to refamiliarise and be re-energised by the world we live in; to enter and treasure the silence and sounds around us. You are invited to step out of yourselves and step into the broad sense of creation. To take your headphones and blinkers off, to open your ears to the song of birds and breathing of branches in the wind, to open your noses to the fragrances of sap rising in the trees, to open your eyes to the miniature beauty of shells and the timeless being of stones. And so therefore, to open your hearts and minds."

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Legendary local Mark Wilson is a pianist who happens to be blind, and who sees the natural world through sound in sparkling bird song, in the trickling of a stream, or in the rustle of leaves on a tree. And through exploring the sturdy leaves of a flax, the roughness of tree bark or the soft curves of stone worn by the power of water. Mark has created a blend of recorded sounds, textural objects and his own compositions to deliver a quiet and reflective experience of the natural world. His photographs and musical responses reflect this sensory viewpoint as he seeks to record the beauty of a touch with nature.

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Conversations with Mark - Post-Concert Talk:

Join us after the concert for Conversations with Mark, an intimate meet-the-artist session with pianist Mark Wilson. This special post-concert talk offers a unique opportunity to connect with Mark in a more relaxed setting, where you can ask questions, hear his insights on the performance, and engage in conversation about his work.